Karti Chidambaram outside Patiala House Court in New Delhi. (Express photo by Prem Nath Pandey)
The Supreme Court has declined to grant Karti Chidambaram interim protection from arrest in INX Media case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday. The court also issued a notice to ED on his plea that it started money laundering proceedings without an FIR. The apex court will hear the matter next on March 8.
The ED had registered a case against him and others in May last year. It registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), the ED’s equivalent of a police FIR, against the accused named in a CBI complaint. These included Karti Chidambaram, INX Media and its directors, Peter and Indrani Mukerjea. Also Read: Enforcement Directorate gets nod to question Peter Mukerjea
Earlier today, Karti was produced before the Patiala House Court after his five-day CBI custody ended today with the investigative agency seeking 14-day extension for further interrogation. Seeking extension of remand, CBI said that presence of the accused is actually needed in order to serve some important and specific purposes connected with completion of investigation in the case, adding that Karti also needs to confront the accused, co-accused and unearth the larger conspiracy. It further said that during the custodial interrogation so far, the agency was able to gather some important information even though the accused has remained evasive even while answering the routine questions.
Karti Chidambaram’s mother at Patiala House Court in New Delhi. (Source: Express Photo by Prem Nath Pandey)
Meanwhile, Karti’s counsel, Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued that CBI wants to keep Karti in custody by hook or by crook. “He is cooperating and is not obliged to say what they want to hear,” said Singhvi.
The matter was adjourned by court till 2 pm today. Karti was arrested by the CBI from Chennai airport last Thursday on charges of facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving Rs 305 crore in overseas funds in 2007 when his father P Chidambaram was finance minister.
On Sunday, Karti was taken to Byculla jail in Mumbai and confronted with former co-owner of INX Media Indrani Mukerjea, who is undergoing trial in the Sheena Bora murder case. Sources said that Karti was confronted with Mukerjea’s confessional statement, where she alleged that as Finance Minister, P Chidambaram had asked her and her husband Peter Mukerjea to help his son’s business. She said a deal of USD 1 million was struck between Karti and the Mukerjeas to secure FIPB approval in favour of INX Media.
The CBI had filed an FIR in the case on May 15, 2016, alleging irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving Rs 305 crore in overseas funds in 2007 when P Chidambaram was Union finance minister.
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Sriram KalpathiMar 6, 2018 at 2:23 pmCBI does not have any evidence and are using a murderer as their weapon to continue harassment of Chidambaram and his son.The Court has to see through their ulterior motive and question CBI to provide documents in support of their statement.Reply
shabira shiekhMar 6, 2018 at 1:28 pmchota jhumla transferred 1.8cr to soniabg for her cancer treatment in USReply- Mar 6, 2018 at 12:26 pmbechara Karti to doodh pita bachcha hai chiddu ko pakro. Usi ke thru maal Sonia/ Rahul ke paas jata tha?Reply
- Srikanth VenkatramanMar 6, 2018 at 11:51 amwhere do these people get the money to pay the expensive lawyers? What is the use of the income tax department if they do not do something but sit in their chairs and cleaning their chairs? the MPs and MLAs are fighting the case in chennai with the help of Delhi lawyers. where do they get the money to fight them? The lawyers wil charge easily Rs. 25 lakhs per day, if not more.Reply
- Ramakrishnan SeshadriMar 6, 2018 at 12:19 pmAre these lawyers themselves paying income tax?Reply
